Today lets tackle a familiar data clean-up problem using Excel – Transposing data.
That is, we want to take all rows in our data & make them columns. Something like this:
The easy solution – use Paste Special > Transpose
Long time Chandoo.org readers already know this. Excel has a built-in feature that lets you transpose data with a single click.
- Just select your original data
- Press CTRL+C to copy
- Go to an empty area and open Paste Special (CTRL+ALT+V)
- Select Transpose.
- Done!
Although this approach works, it creates a copy of your original data. So whenever original numbers change, you must waste precious key strokes & time re-doing the transpose. This is exactly the opposite of awesome.
So, lets move to formulas.
Formula Solution #1 – Using INDEX & Helper cells to transpose a table
Lets say, we have named our original data as myData.
Lets also say myData has 6 rows & 7 columns. That means, the transposed table will have 7 rows & 6 columns.
- Create a 7×6 grid in your worksheet
- About this, write numbers 1 to 6 (cells D20:I20).
- Similarly, write numbers 1 to 7 beside it (cells B23:B29).
- Now use INDEX formula to transpose data like this:
- =INDEX(myData, D$20, $B23)
- Copy this formula all over and you are done!
See the illustration below to understand how this works.
Formula Solution #2 – Using INDEX formula & no helper cells
Sometimes, we cannot really use a helper column. That brings us to our next solution.
In above solution, the helper cells are giving us running numbers from 1 to 6 (and 1 to 7). We can use ROWS() and COLUMNS() formulas to generate these running numbers.
So our new formula will be
=INDEX(myData, COLUMNS($D20:D$20),ROWS($B$23:$B23))
Once you write and copy paste this formula, it will automatically supply the required numbers to INDEX formula and does the magic.
How does it work?
Well, that is for you to figure out. See this illustration to get started.
Formula Solution #3 – Using TRANSPOSE formula
Do you know there is a formula that does all of this. It is called – TRANSPOSE !!!
What is TRANSPOSE formula?
TRANSPOSE formula takes a range of values (or an array) and transposes them and returns another array.
Since this formula always returns an array, we cannot use it in one cell. But we can select a range of cells & then write TRANSPOSE in them and press CTRL+SHIFT+Enter to get the values transposed.
See this demo:
Awesome, isn’t it?
Download Transpose Example Workbook & Play with it
Click here to download the workbook containing all these technique. Play with it to understand these formulas better.
How do you transpose your data?
I prefer using INDEX with ROWS & COLUMNS approach. This is very versatile & elegant. Also this approach lets me extract only a small window of large data set (by offsetting row & column numbers with something like scroll-bar position).
What about you? Which formulas do you use to transpose your data? Please share your tips & ideas using comments.
More formulas for data massaging
If you wrestle often with data & rely on coffee to get going, then you can use some help. Go thru below articles to learn more.
12 Responses to “Analyzing Search Keywords using Excel : Array Formulas in Real Life”
Very interesting Chandoo, as always. Personally I find endless uses for formulae such as {=sum(if(B$2:B$5=$A2,$C$2$C$5))}, just the flexibility in absolute and relative relative referencing and multiple conditions gives it the edge over dsum and others methods.
I've added to my blog a piece on SQL in VBA that I think might be of interest to you http://aviatormonkey.wordpress.com/2009/02/10/lesson-one-sql-in-vba/ . It's a bit techie, but I think you might like it.
Keep up the good work, aviatormonkey
Hi Chandoo,
You might find this coded solution I posted on a forum interesting.
http://www.excelforum.com/excel-programming/680810-create-tag-cloud-in-vba-possible.html
[...] under certain circumstances. One of the tips involved arranging search keywords in excel using Array Forumlas. Basically, if you need to know how frequent a word or group of keywords appear, you can use this [...]
@Aviatormonkey: Thanks for sharing the url. I found it a bit technical.. but very interesting.
@Andy: Looks like Jarad, the person who emailed me this problem has posted the same in excelforum too. Very good solution btw...
Realy great article
"You can take this basic model and extend it to include parameters like number of searches each key phrase has, how long the users stay on the site etc. to enhance the way tag cloud is generated and colored."
How would you go about doing this? I think it would need some VB
Hi,
I found the usage very interesting, but is giving me hard time because the LENs formula that use ranges are not considering the full range, in other words, the LEN formula is only bringing results from the respective "line" cell.
Using the example, when I place the formula to calculate the frequency for "windows" brings me only 1 result, not 11 as displayed in the example. It seems that the LEN formula using ranges is considering the respective line within the range, not the full range.
Any hint?
@Thiago
You have to enter the formula as an Array Formula
Enter the Formula and press Ctrl+Shift+Enter
Not just Enter
Thank you, Hui! I couldn't work out how this didn't work
is there a limit to the number of lines it can analyse.
Ie i am trying to get this to work on a list of sentances 1500 long.
@Gary
In Excel 2010/2013 Excel is only limited by available memory,
So just give it a go
As always try on a copy of the file first if you have any doubts
Apologies if I am missing something, but coudn't getting frequency be easier with Countif formula. Something like this - COUNTIF(Range with text,"*"&_cell with keyword_&"*")
Apologies if I missed, but what is the Array Formula to:
1. Analyze a list of URL's or a list of word phrases to understand frequency;
2. List in a nearby column from most used words to least used words;
3. Next to the list of words the count of occurrences.